Abinader receives ECLAC public policy document on strengthening the social protection system

Santo Domingo. – President Luis Abinader received this Tuesday the document “Strengthening social protection to eradicate poverty and advance towards inclusive social development in the Dominican Republic”, prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) in coordination with the Supérate Social Development Directorate, as part of the technical support that the international organization provides to the Dominican Government. The delivery took place during a meeting at the National Palace, which was attended by the general director of Supérate, Gloria Reyes; the director of the Social Development Division of ECLAC, Alberto Arenas de Mesa; the Minister of Labor, Eddy Olivares; the former Minister of Health and Solidarity of France and representative of international cooperation, Marisol Touraine; and the coordinator of Economic Inclusion of Supérate, Naomi Arboleda. During the presentation, ECLAC highlighted the significant social and economic advances achieved by the Dominican Republic in the last decade, with an average growth of 5% per year, more than double the regional average, and a notable reduction in poverty to 18.2% and extreme poverty to 4.9%. Likewise, the country managed to position itself in 2023 as the one with the lowest inequality index (Gini 0.39) in Latin America.

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The document proposes three strategic axes to consolidate and expand these achievements:

• Expand and strengthen the social protection system towards a universal, comprehensive, sustainable, and resilient model.
• Promote active employment and labor inclusion policies, with special attention to young people, women, and informal workers.
• Strengthen social institutions, advancing towards a Framework Law for Social Protection and better intersectoral articulation.

The director of Supérate, Gloria Reyes, highlighted that this report "constitutes a key tool for decision-making in social policy, as it reflects the evolution of the Dominican system and points out the social investment opportunities needed to continue reducing poverty and inequality gaps." For his part, President Abinader thanked ECLAC for its technical support and reaffirmed his government's commitment to strengthening the social protection system, which he defined as an essential pillar of human development, economic inclusion, and social mobility in the Dominican Republic. The dialogue is framed within the High-Level Seminar "Strengthening the social protection system and labor inclusion in the Dominican Republic", jointly organized by ECLAC, Supérate, the Ministry of Labor and German cooperation (GIZ/BMZ), with the support of the United Nations System.

This joint effort seeks to lay the foundations for a new social protection model that guarantees greater opportunities, reduces structural inequalities, and promotes inclusive and sustainable development for all Dominicans.